Christmas congestion – these are the roads to avoid this weekend

Matt Allan

This weekend is set to see a huge spike in road journeys as commuter traffic is swollen by last-minute shoppers and people setting off on Christmas getaways.

Friday is expected to be the worst day for traffic with an estimated 2.8 million journeys taking place but Thursday is expected to see around 2.5 million individual trips as well.

Three-hour delays

Ahead of the festive free-for-all, traffic specialists Inrix have issued a list of the roads expected to be worst affected, with some sections of road expected to see up to three-hour delays.

Sections of the M6, M25 and M40 are all expected to see delays of between 80 and 180 minutes, with other roads seeing journey times extended by between eight minutes and an hour, according to Inrix and the RAC.

The northbound M6 between junctions 15 and 25 is expected to see the very worst delays with a predicted hold-up of 181 minutes on Thursday December 20. Congestion is predicted to last throughout the day, with experts advising that the quietest time to travel will be after 8pm.

Friday 21 will see the worst hold-ups on the M40 with northbound traffic experiencing 35-minute delays and southbound drivers facing almost two hours of delays.

Hour-long delays are also expected on the same stretch between Aylesbury and the M42 on Saturday 22, with similar delays again on the M6 between J15 and J25.

Rail disruption

The anticipated jams will be compounded by extensive disruption to the rail network – both planned and unplanned – that could force more people onto the roads. Strikes are likely to affect routes run by Northern Rail and South Western Railway, and Network Rail is planning extensive engineering work on lines running into major stations including London Paddington and Victoria.

Drivers are warned that a single breakdown could cause serious delays for thousands. Picture: Shutterstock

INRIX data scientist Joshua Kidd said: “Our data shows that compared to a normal day, Thursday December 20 will see the biggest increase in cars on the road.

“With most drivers setting out mid-morning, traffic will become heavier over the course of the afternoon and stay congested into the evening. But it’s not just those off to see family and friends – commuters, last-ditch shoppers and online deliveries will contribute to clogging the roads.”

Breakdowns

RAC Patrol of the Year Mark Souster added: “The run-up to Christmas is traditionally a very busy time on the roads and for us as patrols, and 2018 looks to be no exception.

“It’s vitally important every driver planning a trip gives their car a once over to make sure it’s up to the job, as a single breakdown can bring some roads to a grinding halt, slowing down the Christmas getaway for all of us.”

While this weekend is set to be a busy one, next week that will see the very worst of the traffic. Inrix/RAC data estimates that traffic is likely to peak on Boxing Day when some 6.8 million individual trips will be made.